Wire dispensing device



April 3, 1965 L. D. PARKINSON 3,178,129

WIRE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 18, 1963 lee .0. Park/17:00

INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,178,129 WEE DISPENSER; DEVICE Lee D. Parkinson, 819 Fisher, Houston, Tex. Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,782 Claims. (Cl. 242-129) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a wire dispenser.

It is an object of this invention to provide a wire dispenser having novel means for permitting removal of the Wire from the dispenser without kinks.

In the present practice, the coils of wire, such as are usually employed in installation of electrical circuits in a building, are packaged without cores or reels and, when drawing off a supply of wire from a coil for installation, the pulling action against the wire causes the wire to be released from the coil in an erratic manner, often kink ing the wire, and causing delay in the user having to release the kink before proceeding with his work. It is an object of this invention to provide a novel means for dispensing wire that will permit an installer to install multiple wires simultaneously, from rotating turntables, and having brakes to terminate rotation of the turntables when the user ceases to pull on the wire.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the device.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device, and

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the brake assembly.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a framework, such as the U-shaped tubing having parallel side members and upwardly turned at one end, as 2, forming a handle. Suitable wheels, as 3, are mounted on the framework to provide means for moving the device easily from place to place while in use. The wheels 3 are mounted on an axle, as 4, on each side of the framework, the axle extending out of the coupling 5. The coupling 5 consists of three members which are grooved to receive the axle 4, the cross support 6 and framework 1, and are joined by suitable bolts 7, 7. One corner bolt in the coupling 5 extends upwardly from the spindle 8 and on which the turntable 9 is rotatably mounted, the spindle 8 extending through the flanged sleeve 29 which is retained in place by the nut 30.

Mounted on the turntables 9, 9 and extending upwardly and inwardly are the wire receiving members 10, 10, a top plate 11 resting on the extended ends of the wire receiving members it 10 and rotatably mounted on the spindle S. A sleeve 12 extends through the plate 11 and the spindle 8 extends through the sleeve 12 with a suitable retaining nut 13, 1d releasably maintaining the plate in place, above and below the plate respectively.

The turntables 9, 9 are mounted in pairs in juxtaposition on the framework 1, and a brake assembly is mounted on the respective cross bar supports 6 between the turntables of each pair. The brake assembly consists of the rigid support 15 which is clamped to the cross bar support 6 by any suitable means such as the clamp 16 at one end. A slot 17 is formed in the rigid support 15 through which the actuating bar 18 extends. The extended end of the support 15 has an integral bracket 19 extending laterally therefrom in which the brake shoe 20 is pivotally mounted, the brake shoe 2i) having the laterally extending lug 21 which pivots in the bracket 19 and having the vertical wall 22 which is integral with the lug 21 and the shoe 2% The shoe 20 extends laterally and downwardly from the wall 22 and the respective side margins of the shoe are concave forming mating surfaces with the peripheral marice gin of the turntables 9, 9. The actuating bar 18 is pivota-lly mounted on the support 15 as by means of the lugs and pin 31 and the pivot point being below the midway point between the longitudinal side margins of the bar 18, provides a maximum leverage action and one end 1h of the bar 18 bears against the wall 22 of the shoe and swings the shoe 20 outwardly and upwardly, out of contact with the periphery of the turntables 9, 9 when the bar 18 is moved into one position. The bar 18 has the laterally extended arms 23, 23 and the flanged end 24. Ports 25, 25 in the arms 23, 23 and ports 26, 26 in the flanged end 24 form guides for the wire being dispensed from the supports 10, 10. The upper marginal wall of the bar 18 has a series of slots 27, 27 in which the weight 28 is loosely mounted. The weight 28 may be adjusted to the desired slot according to the weightof the wire being dispensed.

The wire to be dispensed is in coils and is mounted on the supports 19, 10 and threaded through the ports 25, 26, the wire on each of the respective supports of each pair of turntables being mounted to rotate the turntables in opposite directions as the Wire is dispensed. The weight 29 is adjusted so that the shoe 2% will be in contact with the periphery of the respective turntables when no pull is being exerted on the wire to be dispensed. When the user pulls on the wire to be dispensed, the extended end of the bar 18 is moved upwardly, causing the end 19 of the bar to move the shoe 2t out of contact with the turntables and permitting the turntables to rotate. As soon as the pull on the wire is released, the bar 18 moves back into its original position, dropping the shoe 24) into contacting relation with the turntables and immediately braking the turntables against further rotation.

In use, the coils of wire are placed on the supports 16 of the respective spindles, the plate 11 of each spindle being passed through the axial opening of the coil of wire and the supports 19 being inwardly inclined permit the coil to be readily mountable thereon. One wire alone may be withdrawn or four wires maybe withdrawn simultaneously without danger of kinking the wire, as the turntables 9 will rotate only when a pull is exerted against the wire itself. The brake shoe being wedged between the oppositely rotating turntables, will immediately effect a stop of rotation of the turntables when the pull on the wire is released. The weigh-t 28 may be moved to the desired slot in the bar 18 according to the weight of the wire being dispensed.

The device is equipped with two Wheels only, located near the rear of the framework, and the forward portion of the framework will be allowed to rest on the floor when the device is in use, placing the framework at an angle, so that the supports 15 will be inclined forwardly adding to the gravity action of the weight loaded end of the actuating arm 18, as shown in FEGURE 1.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a wire dispensing device, a rigid framework, wheel supporting axles and brake supporting bars mounted on said framework, a coupling means for joining said axles and cross bars to said framework comprising a lower member having an axle receiving groove therein and a center member having a framework receiving groove therein and an upper member having a cross bar receiving groove therein and bolts extending through said members to maintain them in coupled relation, one of said bolts extending upwardly from said upper member forming a spindle, a turntable rotatably mounted on said spindle, wire receiving members mounted on said turntable and braking means mounted on said cross bar movable into and out of braking relation with said turntable.

:J 2. In a Wire dispensing device, a rigid portable framework having parallel side members, cross bars joined to said side members, spindles mounted on said side members and turntables mounted on said spindles in position to operate in opposite directions, braking means mounted on said cross bars between each of a pair of turntables, said braking means having a braking shoe movable into and out of'engagement with the peripheral margins of said turntables, the movement into engagement being in the direction of rotation of said turntables, and a pivotally mounted actuating arm'moved into contact with said brain ing shoe to move same out of braking relation.

3. In a wire dispensing device, a rigid portable framework having parallel side members, cross bars joining said side members, spindles mounted on said side members and turntables rotatably mounted on said spindles, braking means mounted on said cross bar between a pair of said turntables, said braking means having a braking shoe movable into and out of engagement with the peripheral margins of said turntables, a pivotally mounted actuating arm movable into contact with said braking shoe to move same out of braking relation and means for additionally braking the wire being dispensed consisting of a pair of spaced laterally extending wire guides on said actuating arm having wire receiving ports therethrough.

4. In a wire dispensing device, a rigid portable framework having parallel side members, cross bars joining said side members, spindles mounted on said side members and turntables rotatably mounted on said spindles, braking means mounted on said cross bar between a pair of said turntables, said braking means having a braking shoe movable into and out of engagement with the peripheral margins of said turntables, a pivotally mounted actuating arm movable into contact with said braking shoe to move same out of braking relation and laterally extended wire gnlides on said actuating arm in spaced relation having wire receiving ports therethrough to permit free movement of the Wire through the guides when a pull is exerted on said wire and the actuating arm raised out of braking relation, and means on said actuating arm for adjusting the actuation of said arm to the weight of the wire being dispensed.

5. In a wire dispensing device, a portable framework having parallel side members and cross bars joining said side members, turntables mounted on said side members in juxtaposition, braking means mounted on said cross bars between said turntables, said braking means having a rigid upstanding support, a brake shoe pivotally mount ed on the extended end of said support, said rigid support havinga longitudinal slot therein, an actuating arm pivotally mounted on said support and extending through said slot, one end of said arm being inclined and movable into contact with said brake shoe, lateral arms on said actuating arm having wire receiving ports therethrough, slots in the upper marginal wall of said actuating arm and a weight selectively mounted in one of said slots to move said actuating arm out of braking relation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,908,073 5/33 Spoor et al 242i29 2,127,936 8/38 Pierce 242-156.2 2,349,689 5/44 Aldrich 242-428 2,943,804 7/ 60 Loewe et al.- 242-55.72

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A WIRE DISPENSING DEVICE, A RIGID FRAMEWORK, WHEEL SUPPORTING AXLES AND BRAKE SUPPORTING BARS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAMEWORK, A COUPLING MEANS FOR JOINING SAID AXLES AND CROSS BARS TO SAID FRAMEWORK COMPRISING A LOWER MEMBER HAVING AN AXLE RECEIVING GROOVE THEREIN AND A CENTER MEMBER HAVING A FRAMEWORK RECEIVING GROOVE THEREIN AND AN UPPER MEMBER HAVING A CROSS BAR RECEIVING GROOVE THEREIN AND BOLTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID MEMBERS TO MAINTAIN THEM IN COUPLED RELATION, ONE OF SAID BOLTS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID UPPER MEMBER FORMING A SPINDLE, A TURNTABLE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SPINDLE, WIRE RECEIVING MEMBERS MOUNTED ON SAID TURNTABLE AND BRAKING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CROSS BAR MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF BRAKING RELATION WITH SAID TURNTABLE. 